Crossing the streams

This week I had an interesting adventure in mixing two parts of my life that don't usually encounter each other.

As well as being a bellydancer, I an a qualified Secondary School teacher. I no longer teach in a permanent position, but to maintain my classroom skills, I decided this year to do a small amount of supply teaching (although I like to call myself an Educational Mercenary, I am hoping this will catch on). Being back in the classroom after a long maternity break, let alone as a "suspicious interloper" has been challenging and interesting. Taking a rushed scrap of cover work and turning it into a "proper" lesson with real value, whilst keeping the group under control feels a bit like an extreme sport. This week however, I went in, not as a Science teacher, but as a dance teacher.

Through Scarlet Lotus Dance I have been offering services to schools for a while. There is however, a world of difference between turning up as a guest to teach my own workshop to a group of students (and supervising staff) who view my presence as a "treat", and being the lone stranger who the students encounter when they expect their regular teacher. There is also an enormous world of difference between my teaching and the GCSE dance curriculum (which I am not at all familiar with), so I was fairly nervous about turning up and teaching a school dance teacher's lesson plans.

I have to say though, I had a fabulous day. I taught my own warm up and cool downs, and the students loved them. The year 7s were a big ragged around the edges after a lively warm up to some funky music, so it's a good job I had a lesson plan for them and didn't have to resort to my back up dance conditioning lesson! I was missing some resources for them, and as they were studying gesture, I taught them how gesture is used in Arabic dance for part of the lesson.

I really enjoyed watching the GCSE group rehearsing their exam pieces. I have never studied dance outside of the frame of bellydance. That is to say I have done some Laban theory, but taught by a bellydancer with a bellydance focus. I know some steps and sequences from Streetdance, Ballet, Jazz, Rajasthani and Reggaeton, but only in the context of bellydance fusion. So when I watch dance, I watch it from a bellydance point of view.

The differences in musicality and aesthetic fascinate me. In particular the use of stillness, or travelling without layering anything crazy on top of it. Sometimes to me it seems bland or stark, but sometimes it is clean and powerful.

I think sometimes as bellydancers we feel we have to fill the space, or hit every accent or melodic nuance in the music. Although often that is impressive, or even could be what gives the dance its character, I think we are often afraid to pare it back and take a moment, just a little moment, to be, as the gorgeous Pauline Qu put it at Majma this year, our own bad selves.

So that was a fun, though exhausting day (11 year olds seem to make noise in proportion to the space around them - the dance studio was BIG). It went pretty well, so I have a feeling that, considering most non-dance-specialists despise covering dance lessons, I will be doing it again soon.

The year laid out

I have been very busy this week finalising some of the arrangements for the year ahead, so let's have a look at what we will be up to.

Firstly, Dancing with the Red Goddess is on for April. I've been working a lot on my original ideas, taking on comments from a variety of people (thanks for that people!) and thinking about how to make this course accessible, special and unique. What it is turning into is something that I think a variety of people can take something away from, whether they are a dancer who wants to put more depth into their on-stage storytelling, or an individual who is dealing with the plot twists in their personal story, through the creative outlet and social support that a group such as this will provide. Loads of details are on my website, as are booking options. Book early for discounts!

In keeping with the topic, I have booked the Goddess Hall in Glastonbury for this, and all my 6 week courses this year. It's a great venue that I use every Monday morning for my dance and perinatal yoga classes, it's central and easy to find.

In the style of Murphy himself, I found in the New Year, immediately after I had stopped running my weekly Thursday night  class, I had a lot of inquiries from people who were brand new to dance, and wanted to take a beginners' class. So I am also going to be running a Fundamentals class alongside each of the short courses I am teaching this year. These classes aren't just for beginners. They are for anyone who wants to go over their core technique, drill for strength and consistency or just add in a bit of extra dance on top of the other courses. There are hefty discounts for those who wish to take Fundamentals along with the accompanying course, and I recommend that those less confident with their dance technique do so.

July is going to be a great month. First the awesome Michelle Manx is going to be coming over from the US. She's here to teach at Gothla UK, but en route she is going to be stopping off in Glastonbury on the 20th of July and teaching a 2 hour workshop on "Pin Up Bellydance", her own distinctive fusion style. Book now, it's going to be a blast.

Also in July is part 1 of my Summer School block. Last year people were really positive about the run of mini-workshops I ran over the summer. This year I am making them a bit bigger. The first 3 will be all about veils. Veil entrances, fancy veil moves, double veils, fan veils. All the waving fabric about a bellydancer could ever need!

Then we have a week off and come back in August for part 2. Anything could happen then, I have designated it as 4 1/2 hours of "odd props". There will be a session on balance (for those interested in sword or tray dancing) and we will also look at fans, palm candles and my old favourite, poi (and variants thereof).

Finally, we will be back in October for the spooky stuff with a Dark Fusion course. This is for new or experienced dancers who are interested in exploring the fabulously eclectic world of Gothic Bellydance. This is an incredibly creative and inclusive style, so I expect this course to really bring out some great stuff in different dancers. The focus will be in finding your own uniqueness, and bringing that into performance (whether you wish to perform in front of others or not). As Dark Fusion tends to have a strong Tribal Fusion influence, the Fundamentals course for this season will be primarily Tribal fusion core movements, rather than Egyptian.

So that's the year ready to roll, I hope you will be able to join us for some of it.

Don't forget I am still at the Goddess Hall for Concepts and Context, every Monday at 11.30am.

In nomine Babalon

This new year, Scarlet Lotus will be bringing something new and exciting.

I have decided to maintain my weekly Concepts and Contexts class, on Monday mornings in the Goddess Hall, but take a break from my weekly Thursday classes to concentrate on other projects. More specifically I will be offering a number of short courses, focusing in depth on specific styles, or preparing for and learning a choreographed dance.

These courses will offer a structured approach with specific objectives that will allow students to track their rapid progress in the chosen topic.

The first of these will run in February/March, and I am doing something I have never offered before in the context of bellydance classes.

I have previously taught movement - posture, deportment, gesture and ecstatic dance - to ritualists in the context of magic and ritual. Movement is a language that speaks from our very core, to that of others and can be incredibly powerful in a sacred context.

In the past I have always taught dance from the perspective of teaching the "language" so that dancers might go forth and use it however they will, but I have decided, for the first of my short courses, I am going to teach technically accurate and well executed bellydance (theatrical fusion style) in a sacred context.

So here's introducing:

Dancing with the Red Goddess.

Exploring and expressing the power of Our Lady Babalon, and associated goddesses (such as Ishtar, Innanna and Astarte) through moving meditation and devotional dance.

These extended classes will consider the initiatory and transformative nature of the Red Goddess, as the participants bloom, and through their dancing their interpretation of Babalon will be born.

Movements and technique will be learned through themes of that explore the nature of the goddesses. I am already building a beautiful collection of music to complement our dancing. Finally the course will culminate in learning a devotional choreography, that brings together all these aspects and may be performed as a solo or group dance in the future.

" I gather up every spirit that is pure, and weave him into my vesture of flame. I lick up the lives of men, and their souls sparkle from mine eyes. I am the mighty sorceress, the lust of the spirit. And by my dancing I gather for my mother Nuit the heads of all them that are baptized in the waters of life. " A. Crowley, The Vision and the Voice.

I am really looking forward to working on this project, and look forward to meeting the dancers who will accompany me on this journey.

Awesome arms- the science bit

I've just been teaching veil work, and once again, I'm harping on about how arm movements start from the back.

I like to talk about "energy" and originating the energy from your "centre" (a point in the middle of your pelvis, at a height half-way between your pubic bone and your navel) moving that energy up the spine, through the back muscles, and out through the fingertips.

It's all a bit airy fairy and artsy. That's OK, I'm an artist, I get to be artsy.

Sometimes I call the "energy" "intention". It's not the literal tensing of muscles, it is a confident relaxed feeling that the muscle is there, ready to do your bidding.

I have a little secret to share though, it's not really all artsy at all. We are going to have a bit of a delve into the anatomy that I don't really cover in lessons, as frankly, my dance students aren't there to learn anatomy (if you would like to learn anatomy though, I do tutor, contact me for my rates...)

Take a look at these lovely anatomical images.

Yes, I love anatomical images, because I am also an anatomist.

See in the top one. Can you see how the bones of your arm and shoulder attack to the bones of your "body"? They barely do. The only bone that joins your arm to your torso is that skinny little clavicle, lightly kissing the sternum. It might as well not bother. The clavicle doesn't carry weight, or move the arm, it's just there for stability. Four-legged running types don't even have a clavicle.

So take a look at the bottom one. Meaty huh? All that muscle on your back? That's what keeps your arms on. That's what bears the load, and that is what makes the movement.

OK, so I expect that those of you who don't enjoy looking a drawings of dead people as much as I do probably would like a point. So here it is:

When you hold your arms in basic dance positions, they are supported by the large muscles in your back. Mostly the trapezius (the bright red one). That is where the strain is. If you are trying to use your arm muscles to hold your posture, it will ache, your muscles will tense, you will end up looking like a chicken. Chickens don't bellydance. It's sad, I know, but we can get past that, you are not a chicken, so you can. Consciously bear the weight of your arms with your upper back. Instant improvement.

When you move your arms, again it is those muscles on your back making it happen (they have some friends in other places, but they do plenty of the work). Much like when you move your fingers it is the muscles in your lower arm working. If you envisage the movement starting at the shoulder, you create an artificial disconnect. Reach from your spine, let the movement flow out and down through to your fingertips. Isolate when you need to, but sweeping, fluid arm movements, involve the torso too.

So that's the science bit.

Evangelising

Here I go again, going on about how cool bellydance is...

Concepts and Context

Approaching dance through creativity, interpretation and communication.

In September I will be trialing a new format of bellydance class, and I am very excited about it!

I want to shift the focus of my teaching onto the "soul" and artistry of the dance. We will still be working on good technique, but approaching the dance very squarely from the perspective of an artist and performer. In fact this format very closely resembles my own process in putting together a performance.

This is my logical next step from my policy of introducing improvisation from lesson 1, so that improvisation becomes a natural and integral part of my students' dance - I'm taking that principle and applying that to expressiveness, stage presence and storytelling.

The lessons will be themed around a fairly abstract idea in dance. It might be a technical aspect, like "Fluidity", an expressive one, like "Joy" or a stylistic one like "Earthiness".  There will be variations in style, for instance a "Serpentine" themed session with a strong Tribal Fusion leaning.

Technique will be broken down and drilled, with a focus on expressing the theme through the movement. Some lessons will involve combinations or short choreographies, and some will involve improvisation.

Each lesson will stand alone, and be open level. Beginners will be able to learn the basic techniques with no pre-requisite, while more experienced dancers can focus on the style and expression, building extra layers and variations to challenge their technique too!

Dancers who aspire to perform will be tapping straight into the key skills that make a performance vital and interesting. Those who do not will experience a full and layered class that truly takes the dance beyond the physical movements.

This is not a brand new concept. It is fairly common for open level workshops to focus primarily on an artistic aspect, I am simply attempting to bring this into a regular class, in the hope that my students come away with a touch of that post-workshop inspiration and fulfillment, every week.

There is enormous scope for diversity in the classes, and I expect a dancer could revisit a theme multiple times, each time taking away new skills and inspiration. With over 30 strong themes already in the pipeline however, I don't expect a lot of repetition.

Working on these themes has been immensely inspiring for me, as a teacher and dancer, and I hope that my students will share in this.

Fitting in your practice

This is an article I wrote for Yahoo, all about how to fit your workout or training into your busy schedule.